By Russ Ouellette"I don’t get no respect, no respect at all!" If you’re 30 or older, you can’t read or hear those words without seeing the image of Rodney Dangerfield straightening his tie. Well, from my perspective, Burley is the tobacco equivalent of the late comic. Let’s take a look at this mistreated leaf.

Burley is another strain of nicotiana tabacum, which includes virtually every type of tobacco used commercially. The leaves of this plant are moderately sized, and the plants are grown widely from the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S., through the south and into the Midwest. In addition, Burley is cultivated in Canada, Malawi, Brazil, Mexico and Argentina.

What characterizes Burley are its low sugar content, high oils and moderate to high nicotine. The dark strains of the plant are earthy, spicy and cigar-like, and have a heavy vitamin N jolt, whereas the lighter Burleys (generally referred to as White Burley) are nutty, sometimes with a bit of a cocoa note, and a more moderate nic kick.